


And a Bottle of Rum

by cerulean_sin (am_bellanoire)



Series: Hook Me (A Huma Tale) [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Mal & Uma (Disney) Friendship, Post-Descendants 3, Spoilers, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 14:33:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20116651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/am_bellanoire/pseuds/cerulean_sin
Summary: Uma didn't want to think about Harry right now but she was still going to drink his daddy's rum. That was for sure. She poured herself about two fingers to start with, chucking it back in one swallow and allowing the burn to spread over her tongue down to her chest. It had been a while and she coughed, but after a span of several heartbeats she could feel the buzz begin to spread through her veins, lightening her head and slowing her pulse.And it was at that moment the door to the Chip Shop burst open and Mal waltzed inside in all her purple haired, dragon hide glory.“Something told me you'd be here.”





	And a Bottle of Rum

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for the kudos and comments on the first part of this series. It was so very humbling and I'm thrilled to see that you all are enjoying this so far! 
> 
> This is the second part of the twelve part series surrounding the growing relationship between Harry and Uma and featuring the rest of the VKs after the barrier between Auradon and the Isle came down. 
> 
> Mal and Uma's relationship -- them starting off as enemies and hating each other, only to work together and end up as friends -- was one of my favorite parts of Descendants 3 because it saved Mal's characrer for me lol so I thought it was important to feature that in the series. I hope you all enjoy it. Feedback would be much appreciated. Happy Reading!

There was always something funny about returning home after being away even if only for a little while. One looked at it through new eyes and while it still looked the same, smelled the same, felt the same, there was something different about the individual that made them feel out of place for a spell. 

That's exactly how Uma felt now as she took to her human form back onto the Isle. All her life she had told herself if she had a chance to escape, to find a way out, she would never come back. And here she was, not a day after the barrier fell for good, running –well, in her case, swimming – back. She shook the water out of her hair and sighed. Everything was so filthy and gray, so worn and tattered compared to the gilded beauty that was Auradon. Neptune's triton, it stunk. Had it always smelled this bad on the Isle or had the little bit of time she spent on the other side warped her senses. 

It was still home though. 

Unlike most of the other parents of the kids from the Isle that had crossed over, Ursula hadn't made her presnce known yet. Uma hadn't been expecting her to. She imagine the older sea witch was exploring the fathoms below, stretching her tentacles, robbing a few merpeople of their voices. No matter. It wasn't as if she was looking forward to some family reunion or anything. The only family she had was her crew, Gil, and....Harry. Harry who was now wrapped around Sleeping Beauty's daughter and probably planned to have a bunch of pink haired princes and princesses with the wench. 

She needed a drink. A stiff one. Port or Muscat wouldn't cut it. No, this was a job for rum. And the good kind. 

Stepping into her mother's shop and finding it completely empty was a bit of shock. All of the former patrons and staff were probably out celebrating in Auradon or hitting their favorite haunts somewhere on the Isle throwing rocks, shattering glass, and vandalizing with a couple cans of spray paint. It was all the better. Uma wanted to be alone. 

Ducking behind the bar, she pushed aside the old dusty bottles that concealed her stash of Carribbean rum. It was more than half full but then again she'd had it for years and in the past three had only nipped a thimble full at most at a time. Usually she and her boys made due with the wine on days when they needed to unwind, in fact, she'd only shared this treasure she had helped steal off of old Captain Hook with Harry himself. And that was after he had given her the bottle as a birthday present when Ursula had made her wash dishes all day without even a well wish. 

Uma plucked a glass from the shelf and made her way to a table. She didn't want to think about Harry right now but she was still going to drink his daddy's rum. That was for sure. She poured herself about two fingers to start with, chucking it back in one swallow and allowing the burn to spread over her tongue down to her chest. It had been a while and she coughed, but after a span of several heartbeats she could feel the buzz begin to spread through her veins, lightening her head and slowing her pulse. 

And it was at that moment the door to the Chip Shop burst open and Mal waltzed inside in all her purple haired, dragon hide glory. 

“Something told me you'd be here.”

Uma's nostril's flared and she downed the second shot of rum with a snort. Already refilling her glass before she glared at Mal from beneath her eyelashes. “You know, we're supposed to be _friends_ now. You don't gotta stalk me anymore.” 

She'll admit, maybe she was trying to get a rise out of the dragon but when her eyes didn't glow that eerie emerald green and the future queen of Auradon merely stepped inside and took the vacant seat opposite hers, Uma sighed and gestured at the bottle. “Wanna sip? Or is this too _wicked_ for you?” 

Mal smirked and glanced over at the bar. A single glass materialized onto the table in a pop of green smoke. Uma didn't try to hide her shock. Since when was anyone able to do magic on the Isle?

“Since I brought the barrier down,” the demi goddess chuckled making Uma realize she had asked the question out loud, “So why don't I pour and you tell me why you of all people are back in this lousy shit hole.”

Uma chuckled, the sound rising in volume to her signature throaty cackle. “Check you out, Your Highness. Swearing like a sailor. I should use my shell to wash your mouth out with soap.”

Mal shook her head and pour a small amount of the rum into her own cup. “Stop deflecting,” 

“Is that what I'm doing?” Of course Uma wasn't going to make this easy. And truth be told Mal didn't expect her to. She knew what it was like on the Isle. No one discussed their _feelings_. Hell, it was for your own well being not to have any of those, really. Or to pretend that you didn't. Being vulnerable in a place like this could be dangerous. But being in Auradon had helped her to see that it wasn't always bad to let someone you trusted know how you felt. And regardless of their past, following the whole Audrey debacle and the way the sea witch had helped reignite Hades' Ember, Mal knew there was some trust between them now. It might have been a thin thread of it but over time it would only strengthen. So she tried again. 

“Harry said you ran off out of nowhere.”

“That what he said?” Uma jerked her head in the direction of her glass, requesting another shot which Mal provided. “Well, he's wrong. I didn't run. I don't run from anything. I swam.”

“Ran. Walked. Swam. Long story short is, you're here when you should be there. With us. In Auradon.”

“Right. In Auradon. Where pretty pink princesses steal my first mate. No thank you.”

“Wait. You mean Audrey?”

The sound Uma made sounded suspiciously like a growl as she hit the table with her fist causing the glasses to rattle and the liquid to slosh. “I swear you and Gil could be related. Yes. I mean Audrey.”

Mal was a little confused by the display of anger. Last she had checked Audrey had seemed truly sorry after Hades had managed to revive her, all traces of the dark magic from the crown and scepter gone. Unless she had missed something. “Did she...say something to you? Try something?”

“Oh please Mal,” Uma spat harshly, her eyes burning ferociously almost as if she would have loved it it Audrey _had_ tried, “You've been gone for too long. You think that little fluff ball could try something with me? Oh but I guess it's your job now, _Majesty_ to take _their_ side.”

“I'm not taking anyone's side Uma,” Mal countered, digging deeply for patience but she was growing tired of the back and forth. “but you're not making sense.” 

“Or maybe you're not drunk enough, my Queen.”

Yeah, okay. They weren't getting anywhere at this rate. It was getting late and Mal would be damned if she spent the night on the Isle trying to coax and cajole a clearly intoxicated and irate Uma with her back to the kingdom. As it went, she had no experience in calming Uma down anyway. Back in the day she had gotten great pleasure in pissing her off. But things were different now and it was time to cut to the chase and quickly. “Uma. Do you like Harry?”

The sea witch scoffed and abandoned her still full glass to pick at her fingernails. It took her a moment too long to respond and that got Mal's attention, leading her to believe she was on the right track with her hypothesis. “He's my first mate. The most loyal of my crew. Of course I like him.”

“Now you know that's not what I mean. You're smarter than that. Do you _like_ him, like him?”

For a moment, Uma faltered but she tried to cover it up with a bored expression and a dry drawl. “Stop speaking in riddles.”

Mal wasn't having any of it. She could see right through the little facade and had no qualms with calling her out on it. “Stop being difficult. You do like him. Don't you?”

She felt as if she was being backed into a corner. Well almost. There was nothing malicious in Mal's tone or what she was saying, nothing sneaky or underhanded either. When you helped someone save the world, Uma guessed that altered things quite a bit. But still. Her heart began to pound beneath the confines of her vest and her skin suddenly felt too tight. If even a drop of water landed on her she was sure she'd go straight kraken mode right in the middle of the shop. Her head felt like it was going to split in two and she knew it had nothing to do with the three shots of rum she had consumed. Being forced to acknowledge whatever it was she felt about Harry was almost like what she thought it might feel like to be trapped in a whirlpool. She didn't want to admit it, she couldn't admit. But it was the only thing that made sense, wasn't it? They had always been close, closer than any allies she'd seen form on the Isle. There were times when her pulse did quicken whenever he showed concern, whenever he touched her. And yeah, she really had wanted to do Audrey some bodily harm when she saw them dancing together, swaying to some soft music. She had wanted that to be _her_. So did that mean...could that mean..what Mal was saying was true? Did she like -?

“Don't you.” 

Not a question this time. A statement. And Uma finally snapped. She jumped up from the her seat, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she scowled at Mal. Her jaw clenched, her body trembling like a wire wound too tight. 

“Yeah. Damn! Is that what you wanted to hear? Yeah I like him. Probably more than that! But it doesn't matter whether I like him or not does it?” It was as if a dam had burst and the words were falling from her mouth faster than she could reel them back in, “He deserves better than some shrimp who can sprout tentacles when she's pissed! He deserves better than me Mal! Fuck I couldn't even get us off the Isle without Audrey going bat shit and you needing to come here for the Ember. Not only is she a better villain than me, she's a damn better hero than I could ever be!”

Her chest was burning and her stomach was flipping and she swore to whatever oceanic deity that existed if her body betrayed her and she started to _cry_, she would grab a sword and run something through with it.

Mal grabbed both her hands and held them. She hadn't even realized the future queen had gotten up from the table to stand in front of her during her tirade. But there she was. Attempting to ground her, attempting to keep her from spiraling off. 

“Uma. Uma, stop. First of all Auradon would be lost without you and your pirates, you know that,” Mal's tone was gentle but steady and her gaze never left hers, the sincerity in those green eyes unwavering, “Second, you want to talk villains? Okay. You're a damn good villain.”

The sea witch bit her lip, attempting to cut the crackling tension, suddenly embarrassed by her outburst. “A good villain? Isn't that what you call an oxymoron?” Mal rolled her eyes but smiled, understanding what Uma was trying to do. Still, she wasn't done yet. 

“Anyway. Audrey needed my mother's staff and Evie's mother's crown to do half the stuff you and I could do here with no magic, no food, and no parents to pat us on the back when we succeeded. But that's beside the point. I remember feeling the same way you're feeling but about Ben. Obviously I was wrong. You like Harry and I'm sure Harry likes you too.”

“So why was he hook deep in Strawberry Shortcake?” The expression on her face was closer to a pout rather than the nonchalance she had been aiming for. 

“Maybe because he thought you didn't feel the same the way? Look. Come back with me. You more than anyone belong in Auradon and we both know that. Not here. Come back. And let's hook your little pirate.”

“Little?” The scoff sounded more like herself and for that Uma was grateful, “I bet he's bigger than your Beasty Boy on a good day, Dragon.”

Mal's retorting laugh was equal parts warmth and incredulity as she led the way out the shop, glancing over her shoulder to wink at her former foe turned friend with an emerald tint to her eyes. 

“I highly doubt that. Squid Girl.”


End file.
